The present invention is directed to an agricultural cultivating and seeding machine, having a frame that is provided with tillage devices and/or a land roller and at least one seeding unit, wherein actuators are provided for adjusting the working depth and/or the working pressure of at least two different working elements.
Seeder machines equipped with tillage devices, also designated as cultivating and seeding combinations, are known in the prior art. They can be used after a plowing or stubble operation. In many seeder machines the working depth of the seeding units and/or tillage devices can be changed.
For example, in the Vxc3xa4derstad Rapid F seeder, the depth setting of the disk pair can be adjusted to a pre-set delivery depth by hydraulic cylinders. The Horsch DS/D 6 seeder comprises tillage devices on an equipment carrier that can be hydraulically adjusted in height. The Amazone Airstar Xpress drilling machine makes it possible to adapt the share pressure, and the pressure on the rake that follows the share, to the particular soil conditions hydraulically. Its tillage device, which is mounted in front, can be mechanically adjusted in height. DE 198 21 394 A describes a cultivating combination in which a tillage device can be adjusted in height relative to a carrier frame. A height-adjustable land roller is provided on the back side of the cultivating combination, on which roller the cultivating combination is supported.
The coupling of several elements of seeders to each other and adjusting them in common is also known. Thus, DE 198 04 293 A, DE 198 06 467 A and DE 198 55 937 A suggest fastening seeding shares, with spring-suspension roller elements in front, to a share frame. The share frame can be adjusted in height, relative to a carrier frame of the cultivating combination, by a coupling device. Thus, the seeding share and the roller elements are jointly adjusted in height. DE 196 20 016 A discloses a cultivating combination in which a land roller and tillage devices are fastened to a common frame fastened to the main frame. The land roller can be adjusted in height relative to the tillage devices such that its position defines the working depth of the tillage devices. DE 196 41 765 A additionally suggests that the height of the drawbar in such a cultivating combination be adjusted in order to adjust the working depth of the tillage devices or a leveling track in front of this equipment. According to DE 198 36 780 A, a land roller that is height-adjustable and defines the working depth of the tillage device is associated with the tillage device of a cultivating combination. The land roller is adjusted in height jointly with the tillage device.
In sum, it can be determined in the prior art that either different elements of the seeder are adjusted individually, which has the disadvantage that changing adjustment of several elements, which can be necessary if the soil properties change or the seed changes, is complex and time-consuming; or several elements are mechanically coupled together. This, however, limits the degree of freedom.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cultivating and seeding machine having a controller that can bring several working implements readily into their respective working positions.
The cultivating and seeding machine is provided with a seeding machine and a tillage device and/or a land roller. The seeding machine is provided with a seeding actuator for controlling the sowing depth of the seeding machine. The tillage device is provided with a tillage actuator for controlling the tillage downward pressure of the tillage device. The land roller is provided with a land roller actuator for controlling roller downward pressure. In the illustrated embodiment the actuators are hydraulic cylinders, although rotating hydraulic or electric motors can also be used. At least two of the actuators are connected to a controller that controls the operating parameters of the actuators. The controller controls the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuators with or without feedback from an appropriate sensor. The controller is loaded with data records containing information for adjusting at least two of the actuators. The actuators, and with them the working elements, are respectively brought into the positions required using the data records.
It is possible in this manner to bring several working elements of the cultivating combination into their prescribed positions by retrieving a single data record. Operation of the cultivating and seeding machine is significantly simplified.
It is not absolutely necessary to store complete data records for controlling all actuators if the data records are derived by the controller from stored data. Thus, for example, data dependent on the soil type can be filed in a table, and data records can be retrieved from another table using this table or calculated algorithmically using appropriate mathematical instructions. The advantage is a reduction of the amount of data to be stored and the possibility of interpolation. It is also conceivable to derive the parameters for two working elements from the selectable data for one working element. Thus, the operator can input a value for the sowing depth and the controller can set the pressure of the land roller and the position of the tillage devices using the selected sowing depth.
In an especially simple embodiment of the invention, the data records can in particular be retrieved by an operator manually. The data record considered to be significant, as a function, e.g., of the soil type, soil moisture or of other conditions is selected by a keyboard or a touch-sensitive screen or by speaking.
As an alternative or in addition, a map can be stored in which the data records, or data from which the data records can be derived, are stored as a function of the particular position. The data is retrieved from the stored map using the actual position of the cultivating combination, or of a vehicle pulling it, determined by a position detection system (e.g., GPS, DGPS or some other satellite system or an inertial navigation system), and [said data is] used to control the actuators.
The soil type, soil moisture, air and/or soil temperature, type of seed, and weather conditions such as the current or forecast amount of rain, solar radiation, etc., or any combination of these can be cited as data on which the operating values of the actuators can be dependent. Using suitable computer instructions, the data records for defining the prescribed operating values for the actuators are determined from this data, which can be input or detected by appropriate sensors or transmitted by remote data transmission.
During road travel and/or in headlands, the operating values of the actuators of the cultivating combination differ from the operating values when working a field since in these instances the working elements must be raised. In order to facilitate the work for the operation it is possible to design a data record to be retrieved for headland or road travel. This can be effected by manually pressing a key or by using a position detection system that makes it possible to recognize, using a map, whether a field is to be worked or a headland or a road is to be traveled.
Such a position detection system avoids unintended double working of a section of a field by comparing the actual position with stored information about the already worked areas. If the comparison shows that the particular area being traversed has already been worked, the working elements are automatically moved to a non-operational position. A manual override control is of course conceivable.